


Happier

by Roostertease_it



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:23:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10450875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roostertease_it/pseuds/Roostertease_it
Summary: Lance sees Keith one night, around a month after their break-up, caused by a mistake Lance made. Keith's smiling up at someone new, someone Lance doesn't know.based on 'Happier' by Ed sheeran





	

**Author's Note:**

> listen to [happier by Ed Sheeran ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpcBDJZsJA) while you read this to enhance your fanfic reading experience...
> 
> made for day two of klangst week on tumblr

Lance’s hand closed around the cold glass the bartender had just given him. It was some kind of beer. He didn’t know or care, he couldn’t really taste much of anything anymore. It was all the same to him. He tapped his fingers along the glass’s surface then tightened them and chugged the drink back. He heard a ‘slow down buddy’ but he made no motion to reply. When he replaced the glass on the bar he saw it was nearly empty. Around him people were shouting and laughing and generally having fun,he wanted no part in it. He was just here to drink, nothing else.

He glanced over to the left, for no earthly reason and saw the exact person he didn’t want to see. He blinked twice, making sure he was seeing right, he was a bit tipsy after all.  But no, it was him. There was no mistaking his dark hair and shining eyes. Keith Kogane, his ex boyfriend.

He was smiling widely at a taller man next to him. Lance felt his entire insides clench. His breath caught in his throat. His heart stopped. They stood at the bar together and Lance watched on as Keith listened to the man tell a story animatedly. At the end of it Keith laughed. God, what he would do to be on the other end of Keith’s appreciation again.

He drank the last of his beer and let the glass clunk onto the bar top. He stood from his stool and made his way around the room, keeping his head low so he wouldn’t be spotted. Bump. He looked down. Lance froze. Keith.

“Oh, hi.” Keith said, looking surprised, “Didn’t think Id see you here…”

He tried to say something but he couldn’t get a thing to come out.

His friend came to his side. ‘Who’s this Keith?.”

Keith’s eyebrows upturned, searching as to how to introduce him. “This is… this is Lance.”

The man grinned and proffered his hand, “I’m Will.”

Lance looked from Keith to Will, it took all he had not to start crying. He took Will’s hand and shook it and hoped to god the smile he was making looked real. “Nice to meet you, I’m sorry but i was just leaving… i’m late.”

“Ok well, see you.” Keith said.

Lance made his way out into the night. His breathing hitched and eyes welled up as he stepped outside. _Not yet._ He broke into a sprint and ran all the way home. He fumbled with his key at the door and tears began to escape as he got inside.

Once he got to his room he stopped holding back. The tears poured from his eyes and his breaths came in fast harsh waves that made his chest hurt.

Why did he look so fucking _happy?_.

Lance caught his eyes in his mirror. He hated himself for thinking it. He looked happier than he had ever been with him. “FUCK YOU!.” He yelled at his mirror self. “Fuck you..”

He flopped onto his bed. Next to his pillow was a half empty bottle of vodka. He stared at it for a moment. Considering. He picked it up and unscrewed the cap. He threw the cap to the floor, the bottle wouldn’t need it again. He brought it to his lips and gulped. It burned as it went down but not as much as it had before.

He coughed as he took the bottle from his mouth. It was empty. He brushed his face off his hand. He leaned back into his pillow. “I’m sorry…”

In the last few months of their relationship Lance had been a terror. His dad had died February 25th and it all went downhill from there. He closed himself off, not taking help from his best friends and especially not from Keith. After the funeral he stayed in his room for weeks. All the while Keith stuck by him, visiting daily. On the last day he visited, their relationship had ended.

“Lance you have to come out.” Keith had whispered through the door.

Lance looked up from his position on the floor. “Why?.” he replied weakly.

“You’re going to get fired if you keep this up…. I know you’re in pain lance, trust me I do.” he said, “You were there for me when I lost my mother right?.”

Lance didn’t answer. Back then he didn’t think Keith could help. Selfishly, he thought he’d been alone in his pain. He’d ignored how tortured Keith was with worry for him.

“Can’t you just leave me alone!?, you’re always here pressing your nose into things.” he’d stood up then and for the first time in a long time, opened his door. “Go away!, i’m fine on my own, I don’t need you messing with things that don’t have anything to fucking do with you!”

He’d do anything to take back that minute of his life. Absolutely anything.

Keith’s eyes were wide. A tear poured from his left eye. His mouth quivered. This was the look Lance couldn’t banish from his mind, every waking moment it plagued him.

“...I guess…. I guess that's it then.” he said,more tears following the path the first one had trod. “Goodbye.”

He turned and walked away. Lance opened his mouth, to say something, anything to get him to turnaround but the words caught in his throat and he grew angry. At Keith, at his pride, at himself.

“Lance.” It was Hunk, the scowl on his kind face looked unnatural there,” Go apologise to Keith. He’s been here everyday for you.”

“He doesn’t care about me.”

Even as he spoke he knew he’d made a huge mistake. He didn’t mean it but for him it was already too late to make it right again.

“Oh shut up!, you’re being ridiculous.” Hunk said, he pulled his phone from his pocket, “Call him. _Call him.”_

Lance nearly took the phone. _He should’ve taken the goddamn phone._ “No.”

“Fine then, do this to yourself.” Hunk said, shaking his head. “But know that you brought this on yourself.”

The memory began to blur with the alcohol in his system. He began to feel warm again. To feel whole again. To feel okay again.

“Lance.” he was being nudged on the shoulder. “Lance!, get up!.”

He blinked, Hunk was standing over him, a scowl on his face. He had grown accustomed to Hunk looking at him this way. He’d been doing it a lot lately.

“You promised you’d only have one drink last night!, you have an interview today.” Hunk said, throwing the empty vodka bottle in Lance’s trash can. “I told my buddy you could be counted on.” Lance sat up. He’d completely forgotten. “Do you know how this would make me look if you show up like this? Do you even care?.”

“I saw Keith last night…” Lance said. “He looked so happy.”

Hunk sighed. He sat down onto the bed next to Lance and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I get the vodka now, but that can’t be your solution every time you see him..”

“I just…. I want him to be happy.” Lance said, truthfully. “I guess if it has to be with someone else… then it had to be with someone else.”

Keith seemed happier with this guy, whoever he was. But Lance would always know that he’d been happier with Keith. He pressed his hands into his knees. He was still in love with Keith, a deep spiraling love that went into his core. He felt like he could safely say no-one would ever love Keith more than he did.

A gentle pat from Hunk brought him back, “You’ll be happy with someone someday too. it just can’t be Keith, Lance, you know that. Now come on, let’s get you ready for that interview!.”

Lance smiled at Hunk. He was the best friend someone could have. “Alright, I’m sorry about this Hunk I-”

“Don’t sweat it, but it can't happen again, okay?.”

“Okay.”, Lance nodded sharply.

Together they got him ready. Shaved his stubble. Filled him with caffeine and dressed him properly.  Then Lance set off.  He got the bus into town. A middle aged woman and a child that looked to be five or six sat in front of him. It reminded him of something from his childhood. Something distant, yet close.

He was being tugged roughly by the hand. He stared up at his mother’s thick black curls bouncing against her back and wondered where they were going without his dad. “Why did you leave papa at home?.” he asked.

She whipped around and her face was like thunder. He didn’t like thunder. “Papa left _us._ We’re going to stay with abuela.”

He didn’t see his dad again. Until he saw him in his coffin. In the last few months of his life his dad  had tried again and again to get in contact with him. Lance always ignored him. He didn’t know he had cancer until the day he died.

He intertwined his fingers with each other and wished he was holding Keith’s fingers. He’d always loved to hold his hand, it fit perfectly into his. Even when he wore those stupid fingerless gloves. Lance chuckled. He felt a sharp pain in his chest. His smile disappeared.

The bus pulled in to stop and lance got off. He squinted at the paper Hunk had given him.the job was as a lifeguard at a local gym he’d never been to. He found it quite easily thanks to Hunks small map. He followed the little arrows to a waiting area. He was the first there. He took seat.

The chair was made of rigid plastic that hurt his back. He read some posters and then got bored. People, one after the other, filled the room.

The door across from his seat opened. Finally.

He was filled with dread as the interviewer stepped out. It was Will. They caught eyes and Will smiled. “Now everyone,I’ll call you in one by one for interview, please be patient. Alright then; let's start.”

Lance stood up and followed Will into the office. Will gestured to a comfier looking chair and Lance took it. Will sat across from him. “Small world, huh?.”

“Yeah. how do you know Hunk?.” Lance asked.

“We met at a party, through a mutual friend.” Will explained, “He’s a great dude isn’t he?.”

“The best.” Lance agreed. “Got me this interview…”

Will nodded, “He did. We’d better get started then.” He shuffled through some papers and Lance picked at his fingernail. “So, you were a champion swimmer when you were younger, why’d you stop?.”

“I got too busy with school, my mom wanted straight A’s and what my mom wanted, she got.”

“Right. ah, says here you’ve got lifeguard training, great just what we need.” He said, smiling. “We _can_ train newbies but it’s effort and money. Anyway I think it’s safe to say you’re hired.”

“What..?” Lance made proper eye contact with him, the first time since he’d known the guy.

He nodded, “You’re perfect for the job and if you’re Hunk’s friend i’m sure I can trust you.” he put the papers down and kept his eyes on them. “There _is_ one more thing I wanted to ask…”

“Uhh, yeah?.” Lance said, his tone made him begin to feel nervous.

“This is going to sound a bit strange but bear with me.” He tapped the table, he looked to be thinking, then he blurted; “Yesterday, after you left Keith seemed a bit off, what were you to him - he wouldn’t tell me - You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Lance squeezed his hands together. This meant Will was definitely interested in Keith. Lance cleared his throat. “I was…” He paused a moment. _I was._ “... I’m his ex.”

“Oh… right.” Will said with a laugh that was telling of his effort not to let the situation become awkward. “I didn’t- anyway…. You start monday morning at nine, okay?.”

“...Perfect.” Lance stood up and shook Will’s hand. Their  hands and eyes lingered for a moment more than necessary . Will was challenging him. He held back,dropping Will’s hand first and smiling politely. “Thank you.” He hated saying it. He hated even being there. But he needed the job, so he sucked it up and left.

“How’d it do?.” Hunk asked him as Lance shut the door behind him.

“I got it.” He said, trying to keep on a smile as Hunk grinned.

“Good job buddy!.” Hunk high-fived him. “I knew you could do it!, you’re perfect for that job, there was no way you _wouldn’t_ get it. I didn’t want to say that though in case you didn’t- but I never doubted you would!.” Hunk slapped his shoulder.

“Yeah, thank’s for setting that up for me.” Lance said.

‘No problem!.” Hunk said, the grin still plastered on his face. “I was just on my way out so I’ll see you later, we’ll celebrate when i get back okay?.”

Lance nodded, “Okay.”

Hunk patted his shoulder one more time and went for the door. It clicked shut behind him. Lance gulped. The apartment was silent apart from the steady ticking of the clock. He clenched his fist. His eyes stung, threatening to pour at any moment. He went to his room and sat on his bed, leaning forward onto his hands.

“Fuck…” he said through gritted teeth. Tears were running down his cheeks before he could stop them. He wiped his face. “This is ridiculous, it’s been a month….” he let out a ragged sigh and before he knew it his phone was in his hand and Keith’s number was up.

More than anything he wanted to talk to him and tell him just how sorry he was.His thumb hovered over the green call symbol. He knew he wouldn’t do it. It would be selfish to do that now. He put his phone down on his bed.

He heard the sound of his phone ringing inside his mind, taunting him. Wait. _wait._ It was ringing he picked it up and looked at it. Keith was calling him. _Keith_ was calling _him._ He scrambled to pick it up.

“Hello?.” his voice cracked as he said it. A million things rushed through his mind. Was it a pocket dial?, was it an accident?, had he seen wrong?.

“Hey, it’s me.” His voice was unsure but unwavering, “It’s Keith.”

“I know..” He said back. Of course he knew. Despite everything a soft smile made it’s way across his face. To hear his voice in his ear was something that Lance treasured.

“I’m sorry to call like this… I shouldn’t have really..”

“No, no. you can call me whenever you need to. Night or day.” Lance assured him, “I’d pick it up.”

There was a long pause. Lance listened to Keith breathing. It was an odd pace, then he heard Keith sniff. “.. can we talk?.”

“Aren’t we right now?.” Lance replied softly.

“Yes, yes we are.” He heard a slight laugh and it was heaven. “But I mean properly…. Can we meet up?.”

Lance bit his lip, he wanted to shout. “Yes.”

“Coffee shop?, in an hour?.”

Keith didn’t need to specify which coffee shop. They had their first date in a little coffee shop that lie just about halfway between their homes.

“Perfect..” Lance said, “see you then?.”

“See you...”

Click.

Lance held the phone at his ear. He wasn’t sure if that had just happened or if it was a hallucination. He looked at the screen.It was true. Keith had just called him and invited him out for coffee. His hand shook as he placed his phone on his bed. He’d better get ready. In a flurry he changed, putting on the best clothes he had. He spent an age in front of the mirror getting his hair exactly right. When he finally finished he still had half an hour until the time. Hew decided to play it safe and go early. He put on his jacket and headed out.

It wasn’t long before he was seated in his spot. The booth they had always shared. He ordered his favorite, A caramel mocha and nearly ordered Keith’s americano. He sat with his cup and slowly sipped as he stared out the window.

“You’re early.”

Lance looked up to see Keith. He was dressed nicely and his hair was tied back. The way Lance liked. “Yeah, I had time… want me to order your drink?.”

Keith sat down, “Yes please.”

Lance got up and ordered Keith’s drink, watching the back of his head all the while. Before the drink was ready Keith looked over and their eyes connected. Keith quickly dropped their gaze. Lance felt a blush rise up his neck, it was like a first date. The barista handed him the coffee and he took it over.

“There you go.” He said, placing the coffee in front of Keith.

“Thanks.” he sniffed the coffee and smiled.

Lance sat down, “No problem.”

A silence grew between them. Lance was glad they were in a coffee shop or it would’ve been total silence. He felt something growing inside him, and urge to speak and he knew exactly what he wanted to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Lance blinked. He had said it, but at the same time, Keith had too.

“Why are _you_ sorry?.” Keith asked, his face distressed.

Lance’s mouth flapped open and closed a few times out of shock. “What I said to you was awful, Keith, I was horrible to you..”

Keith was biting his lip and looked like he was holding back tears. “Deep down, I know you didn’t really mean any of that, but i was stubborn… after I left like that I was too embarrassed to come back..”

“I was too stubborn to call you, I thought you’d hate me after that, I’d hate me..”

“Your father had just died!-”

“That’s no excuse, it was months since-”

“You did your best-”

“I thought you hated me”

“I thought _you_ hated _me”_

“I’m still in love with you!”

They said this at the same time too. It shut them both up. Keith was bordering on tears, as was he.

“Y-you mean that?.” Lance asked, fearing he might not and he was still just imagining things.

“Of course I do.” Keith said, his voice becoming thick with emotion.

Lance couldn’t say anymore, if he tried, he’d be sobbing. So instead, he moved his hand across the table and made their fingers meet at the tip, their fingers intertwined and pulled together. He’d so so lost and now he was found. With the perfect hand in his own.


End file.
